Page 75 of Clashing With The Grumpy Wolf

The implications hit me like a physical blow. If my father, the current alpha, is here as well… this isn't just my mother checking on me. This is an official pack response to my absence.

My mother moves toward the door, her movements graceful despite the emotional moment. I follow, my mind racing with questions I don't dare voice. Julia stays where she is, seemingly stunned by whatever my mother whispered to her.

I walk my mother to her car, parked at the edge of the clearing in front of my cabin. As we approach, I notice another vehicle, my father's massive black truck, imposing and solid like the man himself.

Jeremy Wolfsbane stands beside it, arms crossed over his broad chest, his silver hair catching the morning light. His expression is unreadable, but his posture speaks volumes. This is his alpha stance, commanding respect without a word spoken.

And it works. My father has ruled as alpha over our pack for more than thirty-five years.

Cold dread pools in my stomach. My father's approval means everything to the pack. If he rejects my choice of mate, our position becomes precarious at best.

My mother pauses halfway to her car and turns back to look at Julia, who now stands in the doorway of my cabin. To my shock, she raises her voice deliberately, ensuring my father can hear every word. As well as any pack member listening from the shadows.

"Welcome to the family, daughter."

My father's expression remains stoic as he opens the car door for my mother. But just before he slides into the driver's seat, he looks up atJulia and gives her the faintest of nods, a gesture so slight I might have missed it if I weren't watching him like a hawk.

It's not acceptance, not quite. But it's not rejection either. It's the beginning of a possibility. And that’s all I need.

As their car disappears down the winding road that leads from my cabin to town, I return to Julia, who looks shell-shocked.

"What did she say to you?" I ask, pulling her into my arms.

Julia looks up at me, her eyes still wide with surprise. "She said, 'Anyone strong enough to stand up to me like you did is strong enough to be a Wolfsbane. Welcome to the pack.'"

I laugh, the tension of the encounter finally breaking.

"That sounds like my mother."

Julia leans against me, her head resting on my chest. "So what happens now?"

I look down at her, this remarkable human woman who has turned my world upside down in the best possible way.

"Now we get you the most dazzling dress and properly introduce you to the pack as my bonded mate."

"Is that all?" she asks with a light chuckle.

"It’s only a start," I promise.

Epilogue

Julia

Theautumnsunstreamsthrough the windows of my new office, painting golden patterns across the planning table where I've spread out fabric swatches and color samples. The space still carries that faint new-paint smell, mingling with the fragrance of fresh flowers arranged in crystal vases throughout the room. I straighten a stack of presentation boards, enjoying the meticulousness of organizing my workspace just the way I like it.

Ever After & Co.'s Saltford Bay office has been open for almost two months now, and I'm still getting used to having apermanent base. The waterfront building has been completely renovated—pale-blue walls, tasteful sea-themed decor, and subtle accommodations for our diverse clientele.

Ourclientele. I still can’t believe Seraphina and I became partners. Turns out, she finally found the courage to tell Silverine she wanted to be more than just the Draak matriarch and wanted to work on her own business.

A surprising turn of events. Even more surprising: Seraphina and I work well together.

I smile. After the chaos of the Draak-Ashbane wedding, Seraphina approached me with a business proposition. At first, I'd been hesitant, I was still reeling from Courtney's betrayal, but the dragon is nothing if not persistent.

"Your eye for detail combined with my connections in the Other community," she'd argued. "We'd be unstoppable."

She wasn't wrong. Word spread quickly after we established ourselves, and our calendar is now booked solid for the next eighteen months.

"These centerpieces won’t do," Seraphina says, tapping her violet-scaled finger against the tablet screen. "Captain Orvik specifically mentioned he wants nothing flashy."